Snow guard construction and method of making the same



Wee 6, KM W. H. HOLMDAY 3,2899%} SNOW GUARD CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1., 1962 INVENTOR. WlLLEAM H. HOLLIDAY' m w W HIS ATTORNEYS DMZ. 6,, 166

Filed June 1, 1962 W. H. HOLLIDAY SNOW GUARD CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet t H. HOLLIDAY BY al, WW LMW H!S ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,289,361 SNOW GUARD CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME William H. Hollid'ay, Chesterfield County, Va., assignor to Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 1, 1962, Ser. No. 199,310 11 Claims. (Cl. 52-24) This invention relates to an improved snow guard construction as well as to an improved method of making such a snow guard construction or the like.

It is well known that when snow piles up on roof structures of buildings, homes and the like, the same provides a hazardous condition should large sections thereof subsequently slide off the roof structures and fall to the surrounding area.

For example, such large quantities of sliding snow readily damage rain gutter systems, and expensive shrubbery and the like surrounding the home.

Accordingly various attempts have been made to provide s'now guards which are adapted to be secured to the roof structure in any desired patterns thereof to arrest movement of the snow thereon so that large quantities of snow will not slideoff the roof structure at one time.

Therefore, it is a feature of this invention to provide an improved snow guard for such purposes and the like.

Another feature of this invention is to provide such a snow guard which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture as well as relatively simple and inexpensive to install.

Further, the snow guard of this invention is so constructed and arranged that the same is adapted to be readily secured to existing metallic or aluminum shingle constructions in a manner hereinafter described.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved snow guard construction or the like having one or more of the novel features of this invention set forth above and hereinafter shown or described.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method of making such a snow guard construction or the like.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view illustrating a snow guard construction of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a top view of an unattached snow guard of this invention.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of one snow guard blank of this invention.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 illustrating another snow guard blank of this invention.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of an unattached snow guard of this invention.

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter described and illustrated as being particularly adaptable for forming a snow guard for a roof construction or the like, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention may be utilized singly or in various combinations thereof to provide other constructions as desired.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized to illustrate one of the wide variety of uses of this invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, an improved snow guard of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and is secured to metallic or aluminum shingles llcovering a roof sub-structure 12, FIGURE ice 2, in a manner conventional in the art, to prevent large quantities of snow from sliding off the shingles 11 at one time.

The snow guard 10 has an arresting end 13 defined in part by a band of material 14having a substantially C-shaped cross-sectional configuration.

A plurality of legs 15A, 15B and 15C are integrally joined to the band 14 and are transversely disposed relative thereto, the legs 15A, 15B and 15C defining an attaching end 16 of the snow guard 10 at the free ends of the legs 15A, 15B and 15C. The free ends of the legs 15A, 15B, and 15C are disposed in aligned relation and have reversely turned ends 17'for a purpose hereinafter described.

The arresting end 13 of the snow guard 10 is raised relative to the attaching end 16 thereof as the 'legs 15A, 15B and 15C have portions thereof that are arcuate in cross section as fully illustrated in FIGURE 2, the outboard legs 15A and 15C having portions thereof disposed outboard of the arresting end 13.

The snow guard 10 is so constructed and arranged that the leg 15B is shorter than the legs 15A and 15C whereby the shorter leg 1513, when secured in aligned relation with the outboard legs 15A and 15C, tends to hold the arresting end 13 of the snow guard 10 raised relative to the attaching end 16 thereof even though a bank of snow or the like is pressing against the arresting end 13 and tending to straighten out the legs 15A, 15B and 15C thereof.

As illustrated in FIGURE 2, the legs 15A, 15B and 15C have substantially straight portions thereof which are adapted to rest on the flat surface of the shingles 11 in a manner hereinafter described.

While the snow guard 10 has been illustrated and described as having three legs 15A, 15B and 15C, it is to be understood that the snow guard 10 can be constructed with two or more legs and that one or more legs thereof could be formed similar to the short leg 15B as desired.

While the snow guard 10 can be formed in any suitable manner and of any suit-able material, the embodiment of the snow guard 10 illustrated in the drawings is made from metallic material, such as aluminum-containing metallic material or the like, formed in flat blanks 18 and 19 as illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5 respectively.

The snow guard blank 18 is substantially rectangular and has the 'band 14 thereof disposed at one end thereof with the legs 15A, 15B and 15C extending transversely therefrom and having the terminal ends 20 thereof disposed in aligned relation.

During the forming of the snow guard 10 from the blank 18, the legs 15A and 15C are stretched and drawn to be subsequently longer than the leg 15B so that when the snow guard is formed in the configuration illustrated in FIGURE 6, the legs 15A and 15C are longer than the leg 15B while the reversely turned ends 17 thereof are disposed in aligned relation as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

In this manner, the shorter leg 15B holds the arresting end 13 of the snow guard 10 raised above the attaching end 16 thereof in the manner previously described.

Alternately, the snow guard 10 can be made from the blank 19 wherein the legs 15A, 15B and 15C extend transversely away from the band 14, the end 20 of the leg 15B terminating short of the ends 20 of the legs 15A and 15C so that when the snow guard 10 is formed therefrom no appreciable drawing of the legs 15A and 15C is required.

Therefore, it can be seen that the snow guard 10 can be formed from the flat blanks 18 and 19 in a relatively simple manner by the methods of this invent-ion which require simple drawing and forming operations.

One type of roof construction to which the snow guards 10 of this invention are adapted to be readily attached is illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 wherein the shingles 11 are formed from metallic material, such as aluminumcontaining metallic material and the like, and respectively have hook-shaped ends 21 and 22 respectively at the leading and trailing edges thereof.

The shingles are normally secured to the roof structure 12 by nailing the trailing ends 22 thereof to the roof structure 12 after the leading ends 21 thereof have been hooked around the trailing end 22 of a lower shingle 11 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2.

A snow guard of this invention is adapted to be readily attached to the shingles 11 by inserting the attaching end 16 thereof underneath the leading end 21 of an upper shingle 11 until the reversely turned ends 17 of the snow guard 10 pass beyond the hook-shaped end 21 of the upper shingle 11 and snap upwardly.

Thereafter, the snow guard 10 can be pulled downwardly to hook the reversely turned ends 17 thereof to the hook-shaped end 21 of the upper shingle 11 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1 whereby the snow guard 10 is firmly anchored to the upper shingle 11 and to the roof structure 12.

Therefore, it can be seen that it is a relatively simple and inexpensive matter to secure the snow guards 10 to existing roof structure of the type illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2.

However, it is to be understood that the snow guards 10 can be installed at the same time that the shingles 11 are being installed on the roof structure 12, a desired.

Further, since the snow guard 10 of this invention can be installed Without fasteners or the like, no leakage problems exist as in prior known snow guard attaching means.

If desired, the snow guard 10 can be formed from shingle coiled stock and can be made the same color as the shingles to which it is to be applied whereby the snow guard will be as inconspicuous as possible where this is a requirement.

While the snow guards 10 can be arranged on a roof structure in any desired pattern thereof, one example is to arrange the snow guards 10 approximately 30 inches apart along the lower horizontal row of shingles 11 on a particular roof structure.

Further, while the snow guard 10 of this invention can 'have any suitable dimensions, one embodiment thereof that has been found satisfactory with existing and newer aluminum shingles is approximately 3.500 inches wide and 3.500 inches long with the arresting end 13 thereof raised approximately 2.000 inches from the attaching end 16.

The thickness of the material of the snow guard can be approximately 0.019 of an inch and the material can be aluminum alloy R396 with a temper of H-134. The 'arcuate portions of the legs A and 15C are described by radius of approximately 1.062 inches while the arcuate portion of the shorter leg 15B is described by a radius of approximately 3.875 inches. The band 14 has the free end thereof approximately 0.375 of an inch Wide and has the are between the legs thereof described by a radius of approximately 0.062 of an inch. The reversely turned ends 17- of the legs 15A, 15B and 150 are approximately 0.090 of an inch wide and are turned on a radius of approximately 0.031 of an inch with the reversely turned portions thereof making an angle of approximately 15 'With the horizontal. The legs 15A, 15B and 15C are approximately 1.125 inches wide and have a spacing of approximately 0.062 of an inch there'between.

Accordingly, it can be seen that an improved snow guard has been provided by this invention as well as improved methods of making the same or the like.

While the form of the'invention now preferred has been disclosed a's'requirecl by the statutes, other forms may be used, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. A snow guard or the like having an arresting end thereof raised relative to an attaching end thereof and having a plurality of legs joined together at said arresting end and disposed adjacent each other at said attaching end, at least one of said legs being shorter than the other legs to hold said arresting end raised relative to said attaching end, said legs each having a reverse bend means for defining part of said attaching end and being in align ment with the other reverse bend means.

2. A snow guard or the like as set forth in claim 1 wherein said legs are curved between said arresting end and said attaching end.

3. A snow guard or the like as set forth in claim 1 wherein said other legs have portions thereof disposed outboard of said arresting end.

4. A snow guard or the like having an arresting end thereof raised relative to an attaching end thereof and having a plurality of legs joined together at said arresting end and disposed adjacent each other at said attaching end, said legs respectively having reversely turned ends defining said attaching end, at least one of said legs being shorter than the other legs to hold said arresting end raised relative to said attaching end, said reversely turned ends of said legs being disposed in aligned relation.

5. A snow guard or the like as set forth in claim 4 wherein said reversely turned ends of said legs open toward said arresting end.

6. A snow guard or the like having an arresting end thereof raised relative to an attaching end thereof and having a plurality of legs integrally joined together by a band at said arresting end and disposed adjacent each other at said attaching end, at least one of said legs being shorter than the other legs to hold said arresting end raised relative to said attaching end, said legs each having a reverse bend means defining part of the said attaching end and being in alignment with the other reverse bend means.

7, A snow guard or the like as set forth in claim 6 wherein said band has a substantially C-shaped crosssection'al configuration.

8. A snow guard or the like as set forth in claim 6 wherein said legs have portions thereof disposed in the same plane adjacent said attaching end.

9. In combination, a roof structure, a plurality of shingles disposed on said roof structure and each having hook-shaped ends interconnected to said hook-shaped ends of adjacent shingles, and a snow guard having an arresting end thereof raised above said shingles and having a hookshaped attaching end hooked to one of said hook-shaped ends of one of said shingles, said snow guard having a plurality of legs joined together at said arresting end and disposed adjacent each other at said attaching end, at least one of said legs being shorter than the other legs to hold said arresting end raised relative to said attaching end, said legs each having a reverse bend means forming part of said attaching end and being aligned with the other reverse bend means.

10. A method of making a snow guard or the like from a fiat blank having a band integrally joined to transversely disposed legs, said method comprising the steps of raising said band relative to the free ends of said legs to form an arresting end of said snow guard, said raising step permitting certain of said legs to be longer than the remainder of said legs with all of said legs having the free ends thereof in alignment with each other, and forming the free ends of said legs with reverse bends in alignment with each other to define an attaching end of said snow guard, said legs of said blank being of the same length and said raising step includes the step of holding the free end of said legs in alignment with each other and drawing at least some of the legs longer than the remaining so that the free ends of the legs of the snow guard are aligned and the remainder is shorter than the long legs to hold said arresting end raised relative to said attaching end. I

11. A method of making a snow guard or the like from a fiat blank having a band integrally joined to transversely disposed legs, said method comprising the steps of raising said band relative to the free ends of said legs to form an arresting end of said snow guard, said raising step per- 6 mitting certain of said legs to be longer than the re- 927,522 7/1909 Gery 50--24 mainder of said legs with all of said legs having the free 533 29 5 9 HOm'gbaum ends thereof in alignment vith each other, and forrning the 1,593,408 7/1926 Honigbaum 50 247 X free ends of said legs with reverse bends in alignment with each other to define an attaching end of said snow 5 2,109,447 2/1938 Safmer 50 19 X guard, at least one leg of said blank being shorter than 4 56 941 Miller 50-229 the other legs and said raising step brings the free end 2,588,673 3/1952 Tyson 5() 241 of the shorter leg into alignment with the free ends of the longer legs so that said shorten leg holds said arresting FOREIGN PATENTS end raised relative to said attaching end. 10 4 5,78 4 11/1928 Norway- References Cited by the Examiner 301,367 11/ 1954 Switzerland.

UNITED STATES PATENTS CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner. 654,438 7/1900 Clark 50-49 r 860,457 7/ 1907 Frank 50-19 JACOB SHAPIRO, EARL J. WITMER, Examiners. 

1. A SNOW GUARD OR THE LIKE HAVING AN ARRESTING END THEREOF RAISED RELATIVE TO AN ATTACHING END THERE OF AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF LEGS TO AN ATTACHING END THEREOF AND END AND DISPOSED ADJACENT EACH OTHER AT SAID ATTACHING END, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID LEGS BEING SHORTER THAN THE OTHER LEGS TO HOLD SAID ARRESTING END RAISED RELATIVE TO SAID ATTACHING END, SAID LEGS EACH HAVING REVERSE BEND MEANS 